MsLattés Daebak Cybercafé (Kdrama addicts #19): Our noona days may be behind us but the ajummas of darkness will unleash their inner Gangnam leopards as the festive season approaches

[boatyardblues]

A quiet corner of MN for serious addicts of Kdrama, or the K-curious. (MsLatte is a Her Private Life reference.) Most of our viewing is drawn from Netflix and Viki, with a sprinkling of AmazonPrime. There are also platforms streaming content illegally if you go looking, but we don’t promote them as they are peppered with pop-ups of “Olga” and friends offering a good time, which gets in the way of the drama.

We also dip into Japanese, Taiwanese & Chinese drama as & when. The previous thread is here but our ‘Addicts Recommend’ list below is cumulative so includes recommendations and favourites from all previous threads.


Shows marked with an asterisk are more uniformly loved or admired. In categorising series, its important to note most Korean dramas have multiple strands - e.g. supernatural, romance and a thriller; crime series with fantasy elements. Genre-busting mash-ups are normal. Series that are tagged as dark may also have moments of comedy or the absurd, likewise fluff can have heavier moments. View the categories below as best approximate & ask if you need guidance, eg about suitability for younger teens.

Comedy (with a side order of absurd)
I picked up a celebrity on the street (Viki)
My Fellow Citizens (Viki/Netflix)
The Fiery Priest (Netflix)

Crime/Thriller

Come and Hug Me (Dramafast)
Graceful Family (Viki)
Healer (Netflix)*
Heartless City (Viki)
He is Psychometric (Viki)
I Hear Your Voice (Netflix /Viki)

Life on Mars (classy remake of BBC series, no major site yet)
My Secret Terrius (Netflix)*
Signal (Netflix)*
Stranger - 2 seasons (Netflix)
Suspicious Partner (Netflix)*
The Lies Within (Netflix)*
Tunnel (Netflix)*

Historical/Period drama (“sageuk”)
100 Days My Prince (Viki/Netflix)
Crowned Clown (Viki)*
Mr Sunshine (Netflix)
Rookie Historian Goo Hae-Ryung (Netflix)
Tale of Nokdu (Viki/Netflix)*

Romance - lighter & fluffier
Beating Again (Netflix)
Coffee Prince (Netflix)
Don’t Dare to Dream (Netflix, or as Jealousy Incarnate on Viki)*
Gogh, The Starry Night (Viki)

Happy Once Again (Netflix)
Her Private Life (Viki)*

His Master’s Sun (Netflix)

Love from a Star (Netflix)*
Pinocchio (Netflix)
Radio Romance (Netflix)

Romance is the Bonus Book (Netflix)*

She Was Pretty (Netflix)*
The Beauty Inside (Viki/Netflix)
The Secret Life of My Secretary (Viki/Netflix)
Thirty Not Seventeen (Viki) or as Still 17 (Netflix)
Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo (Netflix/Viki)

What’s Up With Secretary Kim (Viki)*
Where Stars Land (Viki)*
You are my Destiny (Netflix)


Romance - heavier weight/more grown up themes
Another Miss Oh (Netflix)*
Because This Is My First Life (Viki/Netflix)*

Chicago Typewriter (Viki/Netflix)*
Crash Landing on You (Netflix)**
Descendants of the Sun (Viki/Netflix)
Doctors (Netflix)
Fight For My Way (Viki/Netflix)*
Go Back Couple (Viki)
I’ll Go To You When The Weather is Nice (Viki)
It’s OK Not To Be OK (Netflix)

Just Between Lovers (Viki)*
Melo is my Nature (Viki)/Be Melodramatic (other sites)
My Strange Hero (Viki)
One Spring Night (Netflix)
Red Carpet - film (Netflix, very adult content)
Romantic Dr Kim - seasons 1&2 (Viki)
Search: WWW (Viki)*

Something in the Rain (Netflix)
The Handmaid (film, Netflix - content warning: explicit sexual content)
The Package (Viki)



Straighter ‘Slice of Life’ dramas on universal themes
Hospital Playlist (Netflix)
Into The Ring (Viki)
Itaewon Class (Netflix)
Live (Netflix)
Misaeng (Netflix)
My Mister (Viki/Netflix)*
My Unfamiliar Family (Viki)*
Prison Playbook (Netflix)*

Once Again (Viki)
Stove League (Viki)

Supernatural/zombies/vampires/fantasy/sci-fi - lighter & fluffier
Extraordinary You (Netflix)
Goblin (Viki)*

I am not a Robot (Netflix)
Legend of the Blue Sea (Viki/Netflix)
Kiss Goblin (Viki, webdrama)
My Holo Love (Netflix)*
Orange Marmalade (Netflix)
While You Were Sleeping (Viki)*



Supernatural/zombies/vampires/fantasy/sci-fi - darker/more grown up themes
Black (Netflix)*
Hotel del Luna (Viki/Netflix)*
King: The Eternal Monarch (Netflix)
Kingdom (Netflix)*

Mystic Pop-up Bar (Netflix)
The Guest (Netflix)
Train to Busan - film (Amazon Prime)

W: Two Worlds (Viki & Netflix)*
Zombie Detective (Viki)


Guilty Pleasures (for the joy, not the quality)
Bride of Habaek (Netflix)
Hwarang (Viki/Netflix)
My Secret Romance (Viki)
The Last Empress (Viki/Netflix)
Sassy Go Go (Netflix)



Mad as a box of frogs/uncategorisable

Strong Girl Bong Soon (Netflix)
School Nurse Files (Netflix)

Not Korean but decent quality
Regulars also branch out into Japanese, Taiwanese and Chinese drama. The Chinese & Taiwanese stuff is much more variable quality-wise, so we’ve noted anything decent here:

Before We Get Married (Viki - Taiwanese)
Find Yourself (Netflix - Chinese)
Go Go Squid (Viki - Chinese)
Instead of Tipsy Why Not Get Drunk (Viki - Chinese)
Lost Romance (Viki - Taiwanese)
Love O2O (Viki - Chinese)
Morning Call (Netflix - Japanese)
Put Your Head on My Shoulder (Netflix - Chinese)
The Romance of Tiger & Rose (Viki, Chinese)
Tientsin Mystic (Netflix, Chinese)

Thread Regulars’ Top Scoring Dramas of 2019
(courtesy of Hello’s kdrama spreadsheet, which are updated by/for thread regulars)

1. Her Private Life - 9.40 (5 votes)
2. Melo is My Nature - 9.00 (5 votes)

3.= Crash Landing On You, The Crowned Clown, The Lies Within, and The Tale of Nokdu - 8.75 (4 votes)

1. Hotel del Luna - 8.50 (4 votes)

5.= Romance is a Bonus Book, and Search: WWW - 8.17 (6 votes)

We are generally fans of all things Korean, so equally happy to talk about Korean cookery, language, film and music when the mood takes us. Quite a few of us are learning Korean, Japanese and/or Mandarin (some more diligently than others admittedly), so we swap tips and links to language resources. Basically, anything topical goes.


We have a few frequently used acronyms:

FL/2FL = female lead/2nd female lead

ML/2ML = male lead/2nd male lead

SLS = Second Lead Syndrome (where the FL/ML is too dense to realise the 2ML/2FL is better)
🥾🍑 (boot, peach) = kick up the arse to go to bed



We also abbreviate titles if they’re long, but usually with an obvious abbreviation. Some favourite actors & actresses have been abbreviated for speed/efficiency, eg Park Min Young (PMY), Kim Jae Wook (KJW). Don’t be afraid to ask for help/clues if we’re not making sense or have descended into acronym soup.



If you want to join us down the kdrama rabbit hole, welcome! Pull up a chair, say goodbye to early nights and get stuck in…

Nope. Its the holidays, innit? 😜

👍😂

Turning in now. Night Betty. 👋

I woke up this morning with an image of Jo Jung Suk in my head I can't remember dreaming about him at all. So I have decided to spend my Sunday re-watching Oh My Ghost, just to give myself peace of mind

Sounds like a plan Fifi. This is proper science.

Episode 20 of Reply 1988 here I come!

Can anyone explain the issue with marrying someone with the same surname? Is it the increased chance of being related? I’m trying to understand the brouhaha.

That's what I took from it Boaty - sounds like there was an actual law against registering same name marriages at that time? Hope you've got tissues and also that you feel at peace with decisions made in episode 18...
@fifilacklustre Noble work which I applaud.

Google knows all: en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Article_809_of_the_Korean_Civil_Code

I didn’t realise the last 2 episodes were nearly 2 hours long each. I have to get up soon to go to the supermarket - half way through ep 20! 😱

As all my Christmas plans have been scuppered and I'll be home alone for Christmas/new year I'll be planning some serious binge watching - thinking of trying hotel del Luna and maybe itaewon class?
I'm not sure why I couldn't get into crowned clown, maybe I need to watch a few more episodes and see if it clicks?

So sorry people's Christmas plans have been scuppered, you can put your time to good use!

@Hydrogensonata I recently watched Itaewon Class and loved it! Having not really fancied it when it came out. I haven't seen Hotel del Luna though so can't comment on that.

I'm on episode 2 if I'll come to you when the weather is nice and I'm loving it's slow pace! It's a really comforting watch, perfect for a winters afternoon. I'm trying to watch it slowly too, going to limit myself to one episode a day and savour it. I'm also enjoying seeing Park Min Young playing a different role.

DH and I are going to start Sweet Home on Netflix tonight (at his suggestion! )

Rowdy please report back on Sweet Home, it looks like it might be too gory for me.

I've started Run On, which seems uneven so far. Im Siwan is new to me, as he was doing his military service when I started watching kdrama, and I had the impression he was in the Park Yer Bum mould but I'm not sure now.

I love that Park Yer Bum has stuck, but then I am easily pleased.

😭😭😭..
I'd just written a huge post and it's gone! 😭😭

Basically!
Uncanny Counter! 👍👍👍👍👍🥰🥰🥰
Start up... Excellent but reluctant to continue as I'm 🤨... About end pairing!
Crowned Clown is one of my absolute fave!!
Hello to all past and new posters! 👋👋👋
Min Yoongi says Merry Christmas!! 💕🥰💜

Aw Min Yoongi looks like he is blessing us all 😍💜
Love his little hat 👍😆

Bless festive Min Yoongi! I love it

Just wondering is Yoongi the favourite BTS member amongst everyone? He's my favourite 😍

I have a soft spot for RM, but I do think Suga is one of the most interesting, musically gifted members of BTS and will have career longevity.

Hmm. I loved Reply 1988 but wasn’t struck on the last couple of episodes. I didn’t agree with FL’s final choice. I hated how we didn’t really hear about how things turned out for the other one. I felt like it went out with a long sigh rather than a bang. I did like Bo-Ra’s story arc though, probably more than her sister’s.

Also, I must be hard of heart because I wasn’t even sniffly, let alone weepy.

Just finished Search. WWW and really loved it. All those women bossing it big and some steamy chemistry.
But also rather wanted to be the baddy able to summon beautiful young men and tattoo their backs when frustrated. Probably not permitted in Tier 4 but if I could get one on Deliveroo I reckon it would really help with Christmas cheer.
I don't know how much the fact that I cracked and looked up the husband ending fairly early on in proceedings helped my journey in Reply @boatyardblues but having been very much one team I did slowly switch and was genuinely convinced the right people ended up together by the end. Actually I liked how my appreciation of her choice grew, manipulated by the writer and the subtle emotional changes.

After watching the first two episodes of Sweet Home I would not recommend it for anyone who is squeamish with blood! 😬 It's actually not what I was expecting and I think the trailer was a bit misleading. I was expecting a thriller, but it was zombies and monsters and a lot of blood!

I’ve nearly finished watching ep 1 of Run On on Netflix. FL is the Rookie Historian and I like her style. She’s already cussed out her former professor for being a raging sexist (sadly losing work over it). The ML is dry/sardonic, very comely and there is much to enjoy in the training scenes. Great optics. 👌

Grr just thought I'd posted but it's not here!
I've just watched ep 18 of Reply 1988 so I'm still guessing who she ends up with.
I'm saving Uncanny Counter till I've finished Reply, I just need to know what happens at this point!